ANGEL BLUE [1]

LEAD 39: ten-double-zero

      I groggily roll over onto my side, wincing as I do so from the abdominal pain and throb of my muscles. Sam's bronze quiff is plastered to his forehead from sweat, yet goosebumps prickle his skin from the onset of winter cold. He's fast asleep and snores softly, so when I detangle his arm from around my waist, he doesn't stir.

      I yawn and rock up into a sitting position. I inhale a sharp breath of air when I stretch my arms above me to ease my tender muscles, I can see the flourish of red and purple bruises on my arms and torso. Sam tried to be gentle as possible, and he was, but there are some things which precaution can't save.

       I decide to wash up before sliding back into bed. After all the essentials are covered, I retie my hair into a loose low ponytail and come back from the bathroom toting a pair of jeans and my NYPD shirt on coat hangers when I hear my phone go off.

      Only in a black bra and track pants (and freezing my arse off), I toss my clothes over my shoulder and tip toe to my phone that I left sitting on the coffee table. Banks' contact illuminates my phone screen and I frown at the time, it's almost 2 A.M. What could she possibly want at this time of day?

      "I can't find the girls."

      "What do you mean you can't find them?" I scrub at my eyes.

      "They're gone, Akira. I was checking up on them after putting Ma to bed and they weren't there!" Banks screeches.

      I frown, "Nobody could've snatched them, you always make sure everything's locked."

      Banks draws a shaky breath, "If the girls had run away, they would've left me a note."

      I think back to when I interrogated Quade, his words reverberate in my ears that I will bathe in the blood of those whom I love, including Shoshana and Nathalia. But he doesn't have the balls to kidnap them from their own home, right?

      "I'm not drawing any conclusions yet. They could've done this out of spite," I say, trying to divert my suspicion elsewhere. "Did anything provoke this?"

      "Shit I don't know," Banks grumbles out another sob. "I...I got into an argument with Shoshana and Nathalia about taking them to the ice-rink tomorrow, Ma told me about the disagreement this morning but this was worse―I just went off at them and they went to their rooms crying. I said that it's too cold and they were both so angry. Oh my God this is all my fault."

      "Listen, I'm going to go and find them. I don't want you filing a missing person's report, I want you to stay put at home and look after Beth―don't tell her anything about the girls," I say.

      "You're not going to find my sisters in this cold, you'll get frostbite first!" Banks screeches.

      I tug off my track pants to put on the pair of jeans and NYPD shirt, tossing the coat hangers on the couch. I duck into the bedroom to check if Sam's overheard the conversation. My eyes trail down Sam's drowsy figure, he still hasn't stirred and continues his soft snoring into the pillow.

      I rest the phone between my chin and reach for my belt, "I'm going to find your sisters, but if you want to help me, stay at home and lock everything."

      "Akira please don't do anything stupid," Banks whimpers.

      I open the bottom drawer of the dresser and pull out the bullet proof jacket. Its weight weighs my arm down as I heave it up and over my body, fastening it into place. There hasn't been an occasion where I've needed to wear the jacket, but I can't take any chances―not when my gut turns sour at the thought of what's happened to Nathalia and Shoshana.